About 50 people ask:
“How did you lose weight?”/”How do you eat the way you do and not get fat?”/”What’s your secret?”/”Do you have weight loss tips?”/”I bet you are still fat…lemme see a picture.”
The “how did you lose weight” questions comes up a lot and I have been getting an influx of questions on the heels of the holidays. I hope this can help.
November 2005
January 2006
September 2005
March 2006 -- 15 lbs down
On January 21, 2006, I joined Weight Watchers. I weighed over 200 pounds. I had no idea how much I weighed until my first meeting. I had no inkling of the magnitude of the problem I had on my hands. Oh denial, you are a constant and faithful companion.
The answer for me was Weight Watchers. It is nothing revolutionary, there are no secret tricks, just lots of hard work and tracking everything that passed my lips. I found the plan reasonable, healthy and simple to follow. I needed a plan; I was in way over my head and with the support of an amazing friend who joined with me and a phenomenal leader, I did it. There were bad days and nights I went to sleep crying, but I pushed through. On December 19, 2006 I had reached my goal weight. I had lost 65 pounds.
Maintaining has been a daily challenge. I am constantly up and down about 7 pounds and I do not see that changing in the foreseeable future. You all see on a regular basis my deep and unabashed love for burgers, beer and other naughty foods. What you don’t see is I balance those meals with salads, chicken breasts and hard boiled eggs. I work out every single day, whether it be the treadmill, a walk, or weight lifting. Every. Single. Day. If I have evening plans, I am at the gym at 5.30 am. Sadly, I hate working out. I have never really warmed up to it, but it is a necessary evil. I also have, without shame, gone crawling back to WW several times in the past few years to keep myself on track. I know it works if I work at it.
This post seems fairly clinical and that’s not my intent. I don’t want to give the impression that I think this is easy or that I am stronger than most. I have paralyzing moments of weakness. Every single damn day I struggle. I binge. I get drunk as an excuse to stuff my face without self-consciousness. I go through phases where I will workout twice in one day. I have blissful months where I seem to have it under control, where I convince myself that this is a beast I have conquered. Right when I think I have permanently killed this monster, he awakens from a slumber, mocking me and reminding me I am always within his sights. I think, like most women, I exist on a continuum of disordered eating. This may not be what anyone wants to hear and it certainly isn’t the most flattering picture of me, but it is the truth.
I am not thin, but I am no longer fat. I have clothes in my closet that, depending on cut, quality, and presence of vanity sizing, range from size 4 to 8, small to medium. I am blissfully normal, in possession of an ample ass and a healthy appetite. Mentally, I am still fat. It is the fear, those pictures, that keeps me in line. I have worked too hard to backslide. I think eventually I will get to a place where I am comfortable in my skin, but right now? That isn’t my reality. I am just a girl on a treadmill doing my best to remain on track. At the end of the day, that’s the answer. Work. Physical and mental…just lots of work and acceptance that sometimes, despite all your work, you fail. Having the work ethic in place to dust myself off is what keeps me moving.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
“I sometimes imagine what I can eat as a result of a trip to the gym…probably not the healthiest thing but whatever.”
I do the same exact thing in reverse–I look at the calorie counter and think of it as counting down what I ate earlier in the day.
Clearly this is something that’s resonated with a lot of people, so I don’t know what I can add except my voice to the chorus of accolades.
Whatever keeps us moving I think.
[Reply]
You are an amazing person for so many things. You really are.
That means a lot coming from someone I respect so much.
[Reply]
Keep fighting the good fight! You look amazing.
Thanks Player.
[Reply]
I lost about 65 pounds too.. and then gained back about 40 of it. I can’t seem to stay at the gym on a regular basis and I’m too exhausted with life to bother with a strict diet.
I try to remind myself I’d rather be a bit bigger and off the drugs than super skinny and addicted.
But I still crave to be a size 8 again.. and to love the gym again.. and to just have a routine.
No one else can do it but me. It’s getting my ass in gear that I’ve found pretty difficult.
I cannot agree more; keeping your focus on being clean is so much more important.
[Reply]
Lem –
Right now: Down 15. Watching diet (not only input/output but also what kind of stuff I eat) , whipping out a mini-stepper at home almost every evening, and drinking a hella lot more water (no WW yet, but that might be coming. We’ll see how well I do on my own first…)
Can hear you on all counts, and definitely extremely prod of you.
And just because I really can’t help bringing out the Mix-a-Lot… “Little in the middle but she got much back…”
(ducks)
~S~
Good job…every single little thing counts. Keep at it.
OH MY GOD BECKY!
[Reply]
Oh, I hope you are not unhealthily hard on yourself. You are so beautiful.
Hi Reagan, welcome. Also, thanks…check is in the mail.
[Reply]
In honor of Lem
This haiku has
Lost some syllables
And they ain’t coming back!
Kudos to you. I have to say however, that the Jan 2006 picture is tres sexy. (Appealing to your french roots here)
I don’t have the fat, but I always had the sexy. Thanks jman.
[Reply]
My Beautiful little lemmy has always been more and more gorgeous to me each and every day of her life. I have and always will love the this truly wonderful daughter of mine. She started out as the most happy and curious child you would have ever met. She was not fat as a baby but then when she got to school things changed for her. MOST boys, young in elementary schools are frightened off by strong brilliant women. And my Lem was always strong and always brilliant.
I think the weight really started in Jr. High. Boys can be mean to heavier girls and she wasn’t all that heavy then. I think she had been so hurt by boy classmates as well as the perfect twiggy cheerleader type that it almost destroyed her. Thats when all the bad habits really began to show up.
She’d also gone through some very life altering events that she shouln’t have had too. Lots of people tried to knock her down, whether it was at school or members of her own family….the may have hurt her more than she could handle, or so she thought, because she is now coming out of it on the other end stronger and prouder and more radiant than ever.
But there is one thing you all must know, true beauty is really skin deep. Lem was always gorgeous with those she loved and those that loved her.
I am so proud of her weight loss, it seems to me that her outside beauty is trying to catch up with her inside beauty.
I love you my Darling Lem!
I wouldn’t say it almost destroyed me, but thanks mom. I love you too.
[Reply]
you look great lem! you are a wonderful person INSIDE (where it counts most, obviously) and out
Thanks FF. You are too nice.
[Reply]
After S. America my stomach became very sensitive to dairy and fat. I avoid thick sauces, ice cream, fried foods, etc. in large amounts because of general GI distress.
In other words I suggest getting infected with giardia.
I really should have thought of that.
[Reply]
Oh Lemmy. You know how I feel about this. I struggle with how to accurately explain my empathy, my pride. I don’t even know where to start. Just know that those who don’t have to ever think about it are fewer and further between than those whose struggle in one form or another every day.
You are awesome. I love you.
I know you know. Thanks for always being so honest with me.
[Reply]
I just wanted to add my congratulations and thanks for your candor.
As someone in the midst of the struggle, I can absolutely relate to what you are saying. I started Weight Watchers in April of 08 and have lost about 38 lbs so far – 22 more to go to goal. And yes it is certainly getting harder!
What I appreciate about what you said specifically is that it is an ongoing process – you go up, you bring it down. Life happens. You get back and get serious and deal with the pounds you put back on. Success comes from constantly getting back to it, even when you know you’ve gone off the rails a bit. That’s what I feel proud of. Forget being “perfect” – it’s impossible. And who would want to be! It’s not losing sight of the goal and getting back to it over and over again that makes it work.
I had a friend in my WW meeting who had lost over 70 lbs. He was a great inspiration and one of the best things he ever told me was, “The only way to fail is to quit.” I have come back to that time and again when I am sick of it or envious of other people eating or gaining back some I had just lost.
Anyway, I hope you can hear the applause. Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment and thanks for sharing your story. I’ll remember it!
Thanks, Magic, and welcome! Congrats on the 38…I know how hard it can be, especially this time of year. One of the rules I live by is just because I messed up a meal doesn’t means I have to mess up a day or the week. Always climb back on the horse. Best of luck to you.
[Reply]
‘Sexy’ knows no waist size.
Really.
You are a wise man.
[Reply]
I think it all comes down to portion control. Grazing throughout the day instead of huge meals can work, but it all depends on your metabolism.
But, just for the record, I always thought you were beautiful. And you always will be.
Thanks, SF. Portion control is obviously the key but if you a compulsive overeater…not as easy as it sounds.
[Reply]
I would never have guessed, knowing only the thinner YOU! Several of my neighbors have totally turned their lives around with Weight Watchers. It’s a program that works without a lot of pain and sacrifice.
So much of life is about balance, moderation, and not sitting on a couch all the time. Kudos to you and to everyone else who has been there and done that.
I hope you will never again have to make such an effort. But you know we will all love you no matter what size you are!
WW definitely changes lives. I think it is the only way to go.
[Reply]
so great to see the pics of good ‘ol lem and see how far you’ve come. it’s interesting last time you posted a similar post it prompted me to get to oa. i had been planning to get back to ww today for some time now but this was a great kick in the butt. was the leader you liked melvin?
Yes! He is wonderful. Honest, admits his own struggles, funny as hell…he is wonderful.
[Reply]
Well, you are very pretty. Keep exercising, try to do something you like, for example, I love dancing. You should try.
besos.
Welcome, Maria. I think a dance class could actually be really fun.
[Reply]
Hat’s off, Lemmony. I’ve lived it also…went from 277 to 190 during 2003 (we had a 2-month weight losing contest at work…$75 entry fee and $2500/$500/$100 prizes for 1st/2nd/3rd.)
I gained it back when I went to work for a startup, firm went bankrupt, got unemployed, went to another startup, was successful…endless rounds of investor dinners and too much scotch.
Starting again. 270.5 lbs on 1/4/09, 264.5 today. Writing down everything I eat and have not tasted of the vine since 12/28/08.
Thanks for reminding me it’s possible and it’s universal. I’m a guy, btw.
It really is universal…and possible. Thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
I have to say you are looking pretty hot…I would love to share some pleasures with you of a different sort!
[Reply]
Congrats, and a fun posting too.
BTW, have you considered giving the low-carb/Paleo/Primal approach a try? Loads of people find that it takes and keeps the weight off while allowing for plenty of good eating. Basically: cut the stupid carbs ‘way down, get rid of the lousy oils, avoid packaged foods, eat protein, don’t be afraid of good fat, and … well, that’s about it. Super easy, once you get the hang of it.
[Reply]
Congrats. What an inspiration. I lost 20 pounds and am trying to lose 10 more. Here’s my tell all confessional . My secret: make my daily weighing my home page!
Maintenance is probably harder than losing.
Observation: I think it’s hard being a foodie and trying to lose weight at the same time. When you make your own meals, you can’t really control the portions as easily. (Btw, I’ll try your Bolognese sauce. thanks!
[Reply]
One piece of advice for people thinking of losing weight: take some fat photos of yourself before you embark on it. People who are overweight seem to be allergic to having their photos taken. I could not find any.
[Reply]
Hi,
I’m currently on South Beach Diet. Started 2 days. I’m working out more than specified coz I want to. Its hard. Thanks for writing this. Book marked it to read on those particularly hard days.
I do hope to lose about 70 pounds. Its madness if I don’t. Sigh.
Thanks again.
[Reply]
That
[Reply]
Of course, what a great site and informative posts, I will add backlink – bookmark this site? Regards, Reader.
[Reply]
You are a very smart person!
[Reply]
congrats on losing hte weight
[Reply]
← Previous Comments